Amazon.com - The Best Prices at Your Fingertips

Many years ago people would have never believed that one day there would be devices called computers where you could have access to the whole world. That you would be able to read the news, watch videos, and even make the purchases of your products. Surely technology has come a very long way and life has become a bit easier. We are given options on how to go about buying things and having a new product is just clicks away.

I usually purchase home goods and clothes at the actual store. I’ve bought clothes online before but it is not a habit. I much rather go shopping and be able to try them on before buying. Make sure they look good on me, or that I look good in them, whichever. However when it comes to almost anything else, I love ordering things on Amazon. It’s an online mall that offers any type of product, you’re able to view the sellers’ profiles and decide for yourself if you want to buy from them.

A recent purchase I made was the fourth season of the show Dexter. I had gone to Target to check out the prices on this show and it was listed at $34.99 plus tax. Then I came home and logged on to Best Buy’s website to see what their price was… it was two dollars less. I surfed a couple websites and the price was not less than $30.00. For some reason I hadn’t checked Amazon, mostly because I wanted to have the product right away instead of waiting for it on the mail. To my surprise - and happiness! - Dexter was listed at $17.99 plus tax. I did not think twice, I ordered it right away.

Same thing happened with a DVD I was looking for by Andre Rieu. At the stores the lowest price I could find was $20.00, I was able to find it on Amazon at $12.96 including shipping. You’re able to choose if you want to buy a brand new product or a used one. Buying a used one is not always a negative thing. Personally, I have had very good experiences purchasing used items. When you are surfing for the item, you will see if it’s listed as ‘Used’ or ‘New’. If it’s ‘Used’, it will say: ‘Used – Acceptable’, ‘Used – Good’, ‘Used – Very Good’, or ‘Used – Like New’. Buying the last one is most of the time a good move, my husband just purchased a ‘Used – Like New’ book on Cliff Burton and he was surprised that it looked brand new. Again, keep an eye on the seller’s rating.

Another interesting thing about Amazon.com is that it lets you surf the different sellers that are offering the same product. When you click on a specific product, it will list how many sellers are offering it, to what price, how much does shipping cost, and what is their rating. The rating is an important tool that will let you decide if you want to buy from that seller. If they have a low rating, I of course stay away from them.

It’s also important – at least to me – to always come back and leave feedback on the seller that you just bought from. This will help other buyers know what type of service you received.

You will see that there are many departments where to browse for your product. If you’re not sure what to buy then you can just click on the department of your interest and find something that is appealing to you. You can refine your search by price or category, depending on what you’re looking for.

I like the way that you’re able to manage your account. Once you save your shipping and billing address and credit card information, you won’t have to input it again every time you make a purchase. It’s already there, ready for you to use. You can also log in to track your orders once they’re placed. You will get an e-mail stating that your order has shipped and most of the time there will be a tracking number for you to keep track of your item.

A good point that Amazon has earned is customer service. I had to contact them one time that I order something directly from them (there are many sellers on the website but Amazon also sells stuff) that hadn’t even shipped. About five days had passed since I placed the order and it was still showing as ‘Not yet shipped’. I found this strange, as usually Amazon will ship your order shortly after they receive the placed order. A customer representative replied to my concern within 6 hours and stated they were running low on stock and that this was not adjusted on the website. He upgraded my shipping to expedited shipping at no cost. This was one of the reasons that I keep buying from them.

Amazon also lets you sell your stuff if there is anything you would like to get rid of. I believe there is a fee for this, but I am more of a buyer than a seller.

In general, Amazon gives you all the tools you need to have a great experience while shopping online. There is no doubt that you will find the best prices there, at least most of the time. Happy shopping!